Instruments of this kind are known in the art. As disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,365 B2, a medical instrument comprises a handle and a tubular shaft, within which a rod-shaped actuation element is held, which at its distal end carries two mouth parts. The shaft of the medical instrument is detachably connectable to the handle. For rotating the shaft and the mouth parts with respect to the handle, an adjusting wheel is provided.
In endoscopic surgery, in particular in laparoscopic surgery, surgical instruments frequently have considerable shaft lengths, in order to ensure that operating areas located at some distance from an endoscopic entry port can be reached. However, such a shaft length may result in an unfavorable working position for the surgeon in cases where the operating area is located close to the entry port. In order to alleviate this problem, in U.S. 2005/0033355 A1 a medical endoscopic instrument is disclosed wherein the handle can be secured on the instrument shaft so that it can be moved in an axial direction of the instrument shaft.
In some endoscopic surgical procedures, for example in transvaginal surgery of the gall bladder, an even longer shaft may be required, for example up to a length of about 70 cm. Such surgical procedures, in which the entry port is at a considerable distance from the organ to be accessed, have become increasingly widespread for aesthetic as well as for medical reasons. In particular, a visible scar can be avoided if the incision required for introducing surgical instruments is made near the navel or through a natural orifice. An instrument of the length frequently required in such procedures, however, would be too long to fit into standard sterilization trays. Moreover, such an instrument would be disadvantageous if the operating area is closer to the entry port.